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Folded Corners are Easy!

Do you want to tackle a new quilting technique that you have not tried before? Or do you just want to familiarize yourself with a technique you have not done in a while? Here is one that I like to use when making designing so quilt patterns.

I am actually working on a new pattern right now with folded corners or, as some refer to it, “stitch and flip” corners. Since I am not ready to reveal my new pattern yet, I will use some blocks from a pattern I made a couple of years ago.

Here is the block:

A big part of the design uses the folded-corner technique to create it’s look. I thought I would share with you my folded-corner technique steps for the perfect corners. The key to perfect folded-corners is to not alter the size of the unit that you are adding these corners to.

As you can see I have already used the technique for the center of this block and then added some borders. The next step is to use the folded-corner technique on all four sides of the unit before adding the next borders.

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the square as shown. This will be the sewing line.

Next, lay the square face down on the unit you want to add folded corners to. Align the square’s edges with the edges of the unit you are stitching it to as shown. I use pins along the edges to keep the square from shifting while I’m stitching. I have found this step important to maintain the size of the original unit.

Now stitch along the line.

The next step is usually to trim away the excess fabric in the seam allowance, but I add another step here. I finger press the corner back as shown in the photo to make sure the corner created is in alignment with the original corner of the unit. To say it in simpler terms, with the corner pressed back, does the unit still look perfectly square and measures the same size as the original unit?

If any of the excess fabric shows then your unit may not measure the correct size. You will need to “unsew” the square and start over. If not, you can move onto the next step.

Trim the excess fabric from the seam allowance and press the corner open. And there you have it! A perfect folded corner. I always measure the unit as I add each corner to make sure I am not altering the size of the unit.

Once I trim, then I can press open the corners.

So now you can make perfect folded-corners! There are so many blocks that use this technique to create their design. It adds a unique look to any quilt. At least I think so.

Learning new to you techniques can be challenging. But the more you push yourself to learn new stuff, the more interesting your quilts will be!

The size of the square to use i the folded corner is determined by how big you want your folded corner in relation to the rest of your block. If your block is 6 1/2″ and you only want a small folded corner, you can use a 1 1/2″ square.

It’s not a set size. Like I said above to Nancy, it’s based on how much of a corner you want. The squares in this example were 2 1/2″. If you wanted a smaller corner, you could use 1 1/2″ squares. Of course that would change the look of the block.

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